> Every launch of the space shuttle was a few billion used up. Almost all of that money was dumped back into the same economy from which it was collected, albe

> Every launch of the space shuttle was a few billion used up. Almost all of that money was dumped back into the same economy from which it was collected, albeit inefficiently, so it didn't really disappear. They "used up" a few million dollars worth of material each time. The damage to the economy was not as bad as you suggest. However the opportunity cost was massive. Decades wasted on a dead-end program. A staggering number of engineer careers essentially wasted, and now they're doing it again with SLS.